III: THE WANTED CAPTAIN EMERALD
Song: Anti-Hero by Taylor Swift

Henrietta kept taking gulps of her beverage as voices reverberated all over the ship. Instructions were hollered from one end of the vessel to the other, heavy footsteps following shortly after. Her crew was more than capable of preparing themselves and the ship for the excursion of the day; Henrietta was free to enjoy her drink, guilt-free. Heaven knows she needed it.

By the time the door to her cabin opened, Henrietta had finished almost half the bottle. She was tipsy enough to temporarily forget what she was about to do- achieving her goal. Tommy saw the mildly inebriated pirate the moment he stepped foot into the threshold of the room. "Ali!" The small boy called out. He was just supposed to tell his captain that they were ready for her to go ashore, not figure out how to sober her up.

"Whatcha need, Tommy? A is busy brooding-" Teagan walked in upon hearing the ebony-haired boy shout. She stopped mid-sentence when her eyes almost popped out of their sockets at an almost drunk captain. "Alistair sure looks grumpy. Hey Henny, what did you do to the poor-" Raegan, never too far from her twin, walked in with a bright smile that dissipated when she saw exactly what her other half was gazing at. Henrietta never drank without persuasion from others, much less alone.

"Uh oh," The twins said at the same time. As if they read each other's minds, they pushed Tommy further into the room and closed the door shut. Henrietta just gazed at the three perplexed. "What's wrong?" She asked. Her words were not slurred, but she was spacing out a little.

Raegan was about to reply when Shadow barged into the room. "Your dashingly handsome escort has arrived to escort you ashore," Shadow boasted as regally as he could. At Shadow's declaration, Henrietta stood up from her chair. She looked around the room, knowing she needed to get something, but she couldn't remember what it was she needed.

A beat of silence passed before an impatient Shadow left the room, the twins still wary about their captain's intoxicated state. Tommy eventually picked up on Henrietta's disoriented gaze around the room. He walked over to the coat rack in the corner of the room. For times like these, the crew normally wore a hooded cape and a scarf covering the bottom half of their faces to avoid being recognized in dangerous enemy territory. The cabin boy picked up the dark grey, almost black cape with its matching scarf.

Henrietta quickly took off her coat and put on her cape, the scarf hanging loosely around her neck, and the hood down. She didn't need to have people waiting on her for long. "Thanks, Tommy," The auburn-haired girl handed her coat to Tommy with a small smile and walked out of the room, followed by everyone else.

The blue sky now held a few clouds, blocking the sun. It was almost midday, the hottest time of day, so the clouds were a welcome addition. The sails of the ship were rolled up and folded, keeping the ship from drifting out to sea from the powerful wind. The anchor further prevented the ship from rolling away with the current. On the port side, the dinghy was already in the water. Finley already sat inside with Brianna, both were holding the ropes that kept the rowboat close to the main ship.

As if forming a path from the captain's quarters to the ladder that led to the skiff, the crew lined up to bid their captain good luck. Stormy shouted her well wishes from the wheel, but it was appreciated by Henrietta as she walked to the side of the ship.

At the start of the ladder stood an annoyed Alistair. Shadow and Haven were fighting about which of them was to go down the ladder first. "I am waiting to escort Henny as she asked." Shadow boasted proudly. Haven rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. "Did she ask you to escort her?" The redhead fired back. "She didn't exactly say it in so many words, but she inferred it." Shadow rebutted smugly. Alistair facepalmed right there, and Henrietta had to hold in a laugh as she watched their conversation. "You mean implied, and no she did not even imply it." Alistair corrected the stout pirate.

Before Shadow could even utter another word, the blonde already had enough. "Both of you get your butts down there through the ladder or else you will be swimming to Bryla." Alistair practically growled, pointing to the cold, crystal blue water and scaring Haven and Shadow. They scrambled down the ladder, pushing each other to go faster. Mumbles to go quicker and move butts came from the water below.

The blonde boy turned back to face his captain, both letting out a tired laugh when their eyes locked. A moment of awkward silence soon followed. Everything on the ship was back to its usual bustle. The twins were quarreling about chores, Tommy and Brandon were running around playing chase, Mabel hummed as she read her book, and Shadow and Haven were bickering about random things. Yet, none of these broke the serious tension between Alistair and Henrietta.

"A, if anything happens-" Henrietta was cut off by a sigh from Alistair. "Nothing will happen, Etta" He shook his head, still staring into the emerald green eyes of the person standing across from him. "I know, but if- if something happens. I- I need you to grab everyone and get as f- far away from here as possible. Do- Don't-" Henrietta stuttered out with a hiccup, not being able to complete her words. The unsaid words hung between them.

They both understood the severity of their actions today. Henrietta was branded a traitor to the kingdom the moment she left Bryla that night. If she was recognized, she would be charged with treason, and so would everyone else who helped her. The heavy atmosphere was too hard to bear for the couple. Henrietta's eyes were strong and pleading yet was turning bloodshot with unshed tears as she stared at Alistair. Alistair swallowed a lump in his throat, nodding his head at his captain's request.

Their gazes remained locked for another second before Henrietta was pulled into a hug. Alistair wrapped his arms around her waist and Henrietta rested her head on his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat as she reciprocated the hug. They held each other for what felt like hours before Alistair broke the hug. He held Henrietta at an arm's length away, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "Stay safe." The blue-eyed boy whispered as he let Henrietta go. Henrietta gave a small smile, one that did not reach her eyes, in return and headed down the ladder.

Finley and Shadow both grabbed one oar each, pushed the dinghy away from the main ship, and rowed. A light mist splashed the small group with each wave that helped push them closer to the deserted beach, their way onto the island. On the rowboat, Haven and Brianna conversed with each other, gossiping about what rumors went around the relatively small ship and crew. Grunts and counting came from the bows as they rowed in sync. Henrietta, on the other hand, just stared back at The Lost Jewel. The main ship rocked majestically against the tides. Her eyes went to the upper deck, where the ship's wheel is located. It was on that ship, in front of that very wheel, where she vowed to never return to Bryla. Yet, almost four years later, here I am breaking that promise to myself. Henrietta scowled at the thought of disappointing that young girl. Henrietta was jolted out of her reverie when the rowboat hit the bank of land.

Before anyone could make another move, Henrietta was now back to being the captain her crew needed. "The market and town proper is located in a clearing just past this forest. Pick up the boat and hide it behind one of the trees on the far end before they send a patrol group here and arrest us." Henrietta ordered, pointing to a group of big oak trees where the beach meets the forest. Brianna, Finley, Haven, and Shadow picked up the boat, two on each end, and carried it to their hiding spot. Henrietta followed behind, carrying the two oars and hiding their footprints made in the sand.

Once the boat was hidden from plain sight, Henrietta took out four pouches from her cape, each holding various amounts of gold. "Finley, make sure you get the medicines." The captain tossed a pouch to her sailing master, trusting him in his knowledge of herbs and medicines, getting a nod of acknowledgment from her friend. "Shadow, you get the supplies. Things like rope, canvas, and other things you might need for repairing the ship." Henrietta passed her boatswain a pouch. "No useless things like a bust of yourself. Make sure he stays out of trouble, Haven." Henrietta eyed the duo as Haven snatched the gold out of Shadow's hands, the gesture showing she was in charge. "Brianna, food." Henrietta gave the third pouch to the resident chef, receiving a salute in return. Henrietta returned the fourth pouch in her pocket, keeping it for whatever essentials she decided to buy, like new maps or liquor.

"No fair, why do I get a babysitter?" Shadow whined when Henrietta finished handing out the pouches. The auburn-haired girl just rolled her eyes. It was the same conversation every time. And, as much as Shadow was good with his job, he got distracted easily. Haven smacked her partner on the back of his head. "Because you tried to leave her the last time." The redhead made her case. Shadow only replied with a soft "fair enough" and shut his mouth.

"Once we get to the edge of the forest, we separate. We should meet back here in two hours. If anything were to happen, forget about the supplies and get back here. Don't wait for me and get your butts back to the Jewel. Alistair will know what to do then." The air was heavy with the instructions. Nobody said a word, the silence deafening. "Everyone understands?" Henrietta's voice held conviction, daring anyone to oppose. "Aye," everyone replied unconvinced of the latter part of the plan.

Henrietta felt the concern of her crew and gave a small nod to comfort them as if to say that everything would be okay. Meeting everyone in the eye, the captain raised her hood and scarf, showing she was ready. At the signal, the rest of the group raised their hoods and scarves as well. Now, all that could be seen were their eyes. Everything else was either covered or hidden in obscurity.

Wordlessly, Henrietta made the first step into the woods. Everyone followed silently behind her, slightly fanning out individually. Only the sound of breaking twigs and crunching leaves beneath boots accompanied the small crew. Off in different directions were the sounds of wild sheep and pigs wandering the forest. Up in the trees, birds sang their sweet songs. The trees were tall and their leaves provided shade from the hot sun. Nothing seemed off, but Henrietta still kept her guard up the closer they got to the kingdom square.

A few minutes later, the sound of busy streets and chatty people let the group know they were at their destination. Brianna stepped into the market first. Henrietta spotted her with her head down as she moved from stall to stall looking at the produce and prices. From the corner of her eye, Finley went to the left side of the market. He glanced at each booth that sold the herbs and medicines on his list, looking more like a traveling doctor than a pirate. Henrietta then noted the ingenious tactic of Haven and Shadow. The duo took a different approach and ditched the hood and scarf, looking like a couple searching for supplies to take on their sailing getaway.

Henrietta was now the only one left in the forest. She noticed the markets were busy with lots of people today. Easier for me to slip in. Henrietta thought as she secured her scarf and hood. Her distinct auburn hair and green eyes would be a dead giveaway. Once she was sure her disguise was in place, Henrietta took a deep breath and moved in the direction of the crowd, doing her best to blend in with the busy marketplace.

The first stall that caught Henrietta's attention sold maps and compasses. It wasn't the stall itself that got her curious, but rather it was a piece of parchment that had random doodles on it. Henrietta recognized that the markings were similar to other pieces of parchment that were hidden in a drawer on her desk.

"How much for that map?" Henrietta asked the shop owner. The shop owner turned to face Henrietta, her dark brown eyes recognized the vibrant green ones through the scarf and hood. The shop owner gave a small smile in recognition and flipped her long, raven dreadlocks off her shoulder. "Ahh, that map doesn't interest many people, but I see you have a good eye. I found it off the coast of Chaos Island when I-" The shop owner began describing the tale of the map's origin until Henrietta interrupted her. "I don't need you to tell me how the map fell into your possession, Julia. I asked how much it was." Henrietta was getting impatient.

The tall woman raised a finger to signal Henrietta to give her a moment while she dealt with another customer. This other customer was tall and muscular, his hair graying. Henrietta studied him a little as if she'd seen him somewhere. Before Henrietta could remember where she recognized him from, the stranger bid farewell to Julia, leaving Henrietta and the shop owner alone.

"Sorry about that, Captain Emerald. For you, this map costs five gold pieces. I believe that is a fair price." Julia whispered with a sly smile. Henrietta mentally cringed at the mention of her pirate alias. She did not need anyone knowing that a notorious pirate was in their midst, especially if Bryla still hadn't changed their views on piracy since she left.

"Five? Didn't you just say that you found it for free? I think three gold pieces are fair." Henrietta plastered a smile on her face, ready to bargain with the businesswoman. "The lowest I can go is four pieces. You of all people know how dangerous being close to Chaos Island is." Julia shivered as if remembering the culture of the people who call the island home. "My final offer is two." Henrietta countered, a smirk lifting the corners of her lips. No matter how charismatic Julia thinks she is, I know better. Henrietta knew she cornered the shop owner. "Fine, three gold pieces it is." Julia relented and the two women shook on the deal.

Before Henrietta could even pay, she felt a person bump into her, knocking her hood down and scarf off. Before she could think, Henrietta quickly replaced her disguise and looked around. She barely saw the person that bumped into her, but as they turned a corner, Henrietta caught a glimpse of the familiar cropped black hair alongside that of flowing red hair. Shadow and Haven?

Henrietta's eyes slightly widened with fear as she saw her friends running. A large man with a pot belly chased her Shadow and Haven through the crowded streets, shouting at them to stop in the name of the king. It was not until Finley and Brianna whizzed past, chased by Julia's customer from earlier did Henrietta understand the situation. She did not even think twice before running after her friends, shouting apologies to Julia for the abrupt leave. They were now in trouble.

The crowd parted as Henrietta ran through the streets, knowing all the back alleys like the back of her hand. In no time at all, she had caught up to Shadow and Haven, watching as they were running to a dead end. Bringing two fingers to her lips, Henrietta let out a whistle, gaining their attention before taking off in a different direction.

Shadow and Haven huffed and puffed as they ran in step with Henrietta, the pot-bellied man still chasing them. The trio did have one thing going for them, they were agile. Haven purposely knocked over a barrel of fish from a nearby booth, in hopes of stalling their chaser. It worked, and Henrietta tried her best to lead them into the forest. From there, they can hide and wait until the man gives up looking for them.

Henrietta was too busy planning the route in her head, she did not notice that, when they turned a corner into a small alleyway, they had bumped into Finley and Brianna, who were going the other way. Behind them, the muscular man from earlier had stood, blocking the group's way out of the narrow alley. Henrietta looked back the other way but found the pot-bellied man slowly walking toward them. They were trapped with no place to run or hide.

"Hands up, kiddos." The man with the pot belly ordered. His voice was gruff and slightly out of breath. Nobody made a move. All eyes fell on Henrietta to make the first move. The gears in her head turned, thinking of a plan, but nothing came up. "Listen to us and nobody gets hurt." The muscular man spoke up. Instead of a plan, Henrietta recognized their voices. The guy with the pot belly was George, the muscular one was Shade, Shadow's father.

Silence engulfed the alley. The chatter of the busy streets never died down, but no one paid attention to the scene in the alley. Everyone was waiting for Henrietta's move. Surprising them all, Henrietta raised her hands clearly above her head. Her crew, unable to disobey the silent order, followed suit. They all raised their hands in the air, looking defeated. Smirks appeared on George and Shade's faces as they brought out ropes. Henrietta did not resist as her hands were tightly bound behind her back, her gaze telling the crew to dare defy their captain.

"The King will be pleased to know that we caught the wanted Captain Emerald." Shade said boastfully and proudly. He pushed the group to a line, Henrietta at the front and Finley at the back. "At least some of his crew. These children couldn't possibly be the infamous feared Captain Emerald." George humbled Shade as he led the way to the palace dungeons.